Cornwall is the classic summer holiday destination. It’s got beautiful beaches, fantastic seafood and quaint fishing villages - but where’s the adventure? Even the watersports scene of surfing and jet skiing can seem like it’s just for posers, not real thrill seekers. If you need something to spice up your trip to the most southwesterly county in England, or if you live here and you need to blow off some steam, you’ll be pleased to learn that this county boasts numerous top quality paintballing sites, where you can lock, load, and unleash a wave of paint at your opponents.

When it comes to combat sports, paintball is the original and the best. The equipment is easy to use, the gameplay encourages strategy and teamwork, and getting hit actually hurts! In our books at least, that’s a good thing, because it forces you to up your game - to hit rather than to get hit. With immersive game zones, mission scenarios and child friendly options that take the pain out of the game, Cornwall has the full package. And unlike some of the watersports on offer at the seaside resort towns, this is a thrill that you don’t have to take out a bank loan to enjoy!

Where are the best paintball arenas in Cornwall?

• Newquay: The best first person shooter video games are the inspiration behind the paintball venue outside the surf capital, but here you can go better than the best, because it’s all real! Another point that this site takes pride in is its equipment. They boast a full range of markers, from Splatmaster guns for the little ones, junior models, and two kinds of full size marker - a standard hopper gun, and an extra realistic magazine fed marker. You’ve got your own gun? No problem, the team here puts on special events for players who bring their own equipment, so you can put a personal touch on the play.

• Penzance: Things can get extreme as you approach the tip of the Cornish peninsula, especially if you’ve come for a game of paintball. Penzance might be more famous for pirates, but swapping a cutlass for a paintball marker is our recommendation for an action packed experience here. The venue is set in woodland and natural and man made obstacles cover the game zones, so you have to get creative to use the bunkers, trenches, and burnt out shells of vehicles to your advantage and come out on top.

• Redruth: Are you ready for some CQB? If you know what those letters stand for, you probably are. If you don’t, you might be anyway! It means Close Quarter Battle - tactical combat in enclosed spaces where your wits, your reactions and your teammates make the difference between success and failure. Breeze blocks, car tyres and barrels are among the elements arranged around the arena to provide cover, and you don’t know if there’s an enemy crouching on the other side of it until you get a look around.

• Camelford: This site in north of the county is set over a huge 20 acres, which is space enough for eleven different game zones. Forts and fortresses, a bridge assault, a sniper alley and the tower zone are just some of the battlefields that you can enjoy, each one demanding a new strategy and giving you a unique experience. And it’s not just point and shoot, or deathmatch style play - capture the flag, hold the castle and VIP games modes are on offer as well. With so much variety, you’ll have to come back again and again to have a go at it all!

Options for organising a game

The typical way to arrange a paintball blast is by booking a half day or full day session. If you go for a half, you’ll have about 3 hours in the morning or afternoon, and if you choose full, it’s both of those sessions with time for a rest! Each session will include several games that last around 20 to 30 minutes, followed by time to regroup, reload, and get ready for the next game! With so many fantastic game zones at Cornwall’s arenas, you won’t be able to wait to get back out there. When it comes to children’s or junior paintball, the duration is normally 2 hours.

- Another thing to consider when organising an experience is how much ammo you’re going to buy up front. Packages usually include between 200 and 600 paintballs, and you might be surprised at how quickly you get through them. The sites have plenty more that you can buy on site, but a word to the wise - you can save money by stocking up in advance.

Who can enjoy this experience?

We all know a little rascal who’s dying to get their hands on a paintball gun, so why not make their day, month or even year by taking them to play a version that’s specially designed for kids? SplatMaster or Splat Ball uses low velocity markers that pack all the punch of classic paintballing, without the pain! This game is suitable for children over 8 years old, and is available at several venues around the area.

Aside from the kids, the games are often divided into junior and adult sessions so that you don’t have young teens fighting alongside - or against - battle hardened veterans. The youngest age for juniors is 12 years old, while the transition to adult level is around 16 years of age.

This is a kind of combat simulation sport, and just like in the real thing, you don’t get far without your team. So the best way to enjoy this sport is to bring your people with you. If you’re a small group, you might be combined with others to fill out a battlefield, but if there’s a whole crowd of you, 10 people or more for example, you can get a game zone to yourself and enjoy a personalised party. Colleagues, friends, friends of the bride or groom to be, all are welcome, and all will leave with a smile on their faces - and perhaps a lick of paint too.

This region doesn’t have to be corny, make it a wild one with us!